Dust Diseases

Dust has been known to cause disease for many centuries. Different dusts cause different diseases.

  • Occupational lung diseases

    Lung disease can result from workplace exposure to an agent that can be inhaled into the lungs. The range of agents that can be inhaled are vast. They can be organic or inorganic or, to put it another way around animal, vegetable or mineral. The agent can be in the form of dust, fumes, vapours or gas. A single agent may be inhaled or it might be a complex mixture.

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  • Mesothelioma

    Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Mesothelioma is always caused by exposure to asbestos dust and fibre.

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  • Malignant asbestos conditions

    Lung Cancer is a malignancy that arises from cells in the different anatomical structures in the lung except the pleura. It has a variety of pathological classifications that are based on the cell type that undergoes the malignant transformation.

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  • Benign asbestos conditions

    Asbestos causes a number of benign (that is non cancerous) conditions. Most common among these are asbestosis, asbestos related pleural disease and asbestos related pleural effusions.

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  • Silica diseases

    Workers who excavate into sandstone or who work around high levels of silica dust in foundries may develop a range of debilitating conditions from their exposure to silica dust.

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  • Other dust diseases

    In addition to asbestos and silica related conditions, occupational dusts cause a range of other illnesses.

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  • Psychiatric conditions

    People who have been exposed to asbestos may develop a psychiatric condition such as an anxiety disorder or depression as a result of watchhing former work mates get sick or die from asbestos disease.

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